Installation Manual

MAN 650314:J
7
ACC. POWER
Connect the ACC. POWER terminal to accessory +12V power from the fuse panel or
vehicle wiring harness. This terminal should have power when the key is on or in the ‘accessory’
position. In addition to turning on the display system, this is also where the voltmeter gauge
senses the vehicle electrical system voltage. The accessory +12V supply source should be a
fused 5 - 20 amp circuit, the system draws less than 1 amp, so sharing an existing accessory
circuit will generally be fine. Use 18 AWG wire to ensure the system receives a sufficient power
feed.
*** Never connect any power terminal to a battery charger alone. The system needs to
have a 12 volt battery connected to it. Battery chargers have an unregulated voltage
output that will cause the system to not operate properly and may cause damage to the
control box.
TACH
Connect the TACH terminal to the ignition system. •On vehicles using a separate ignition
coil, connect to the negative side of the coil. The negative side of the coil will be the wire that
goes to the points or electronic ignition module. •For GM HEI ignition equipped engines, connect
to the terminal marked “TACH” or on some systems, a single white wire with a spade terminal on
it. •On some aftermarket ignition systems, connect to the TACH output terminal. •On computer
controlled ignition systems consult a service manual for the wire color and location. •With a
magneto system, connect to the kill wire for the tach signal. Do not connect the TACH terminal
to the secondary, or high voltage, side of the ignition coil.
To ensure that the ignition system does not interfere with any other dashboard functions,
do not run the tachometer wire alongside any other sender or input wires. DO NOT USE SOLID
CORE SPARK PLUG WIRES WITH THIS DASHBOARD SYSTEM. Solid core ignition wires
cause a large amount of electromagnetic and radio frequency interference which can disrupt the
system operation.
The tachometer is compatible with almost all gasoline engines. The engine cylinder
selection, display update rate, tach signal type, and rpm warning point can be adjusted in the
setup menu under “TACH”. If a diesel engine is being used, you will need a tach interface such as
Dakota Digital’s DSL-1 or DSL-2. Be aware of the cylinder setting when using computer outputs
or reading the tach signal from an ECU. Some GM LS1 engines require the tach to be set up for
a 4 cylinder, low voltage signal when reading from the ECU even though it is a V8 engine.
WARN
The WARN terminal is an output to activate a small light or relay for a red-line or shift
indicator. The output is ground-activated when the preset warn RPM limit is exceeded. This
output can turn on a 4 Watt or smaller 12V bulb or can activate a relay to turn on a larger bulb or
buzzer. To wire a warning light to this output, connect one wire from the bulb to 12 volt accessory
power and connect the other wire to the WARN terminal.